۱۰ of the most dangerous chemicals in the world

Much like the previous question, there are a lot of very dangerous gases in the world. Some of the most hazardous include the following:

• Hydrogen sulfide – In high enough concentrations, inhaling this gas results in a coma and death.
• Arsine – This gas attacks the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. At concentrations of 250 ppm, Arsine is fatal.
• Chlorine – Inhalation of chlorine at concentrations over 1000 ppm is usually fatal.

There are, of course, many more nasty gases out there.

What are ten of the most dangerous chemicals?

There are many chemicals out there that can potentially cause severe harm or even death. Here are 10 of them.

۱٫ Batrachotoxin isn’t very good for you

Batrachotoxin is one of the most potent non-peptide-based poisons known to man. It is commonly utilized in poison darts from, funnily enough, poison-dart frogs.

It is a highly potent steroidal alkaloid that is cardiotoxic and neurotoxic. To date, no antidote has been developed.

Interestingly, there is evidence that for the frogs to secrete the chemical, they must have a diet that includes Melyrid beetles. The mechanism for this is not yet understood fully, but the melyrid beetle is believed to accumulate batrachotoxin, or its precursors, through its diet.

۲٫ Chlorine trifluoride is highly corrosive

Chlorine trifluoride is famous for its ability to corrode glass. It is a so-called interhalogen compound that is colorless, highly corrosive and an extremely reactive chemical.

It is mainly used as a rocket fuel component and can only be stored in fluorine-treated metal containers. When this nasty chemical meets water, it produces a highly explosive reaction.

۳٫ Potassium cyanide has killed some notable people in the past

Potassium cyanide is a highly poisonous chemical that kills in minutes. For this reason, it has historically been used as a suicide pill by some prominent people.

Victims include the likes of Eva Braun (Hitler’s longtime partner), Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Alan Turing, and many more. Professional entomologists also use it as a killing agent in collecting jars for susceptible insect specimens.

۴٫ VX is used in chemical weapons

VX, or Venomous Agent X, is a nasty nerve agent specifically designed for use in war. It was created by British military researchers and is deadly in doses as low as 10 mg.

It is a synthetic chemical compound in the organophosphorus class, specifically, a thiophosphonate.

VX can enter the body through inhalation or absorption into the skin and doesn’t easily break down in the environment. Exposure to VX kills by severely disrupting the signaling between the nervous and muscular systems, leading to a prolonged paralysis of all the muscles in the body, including the diaphragm, causing death by asphyxiation

۵٫ Botulinum toxin A, also known as Botox

Botox, or Botulinum toxin A, is a ubiquitous cosmetic chemical that is one of the most toxic chemicals found in nature. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum and other related species produce this neurotoxic protein.

It is so toxic that just 1.3-2.1 ng/kg of it would be enough to kill someone if injected. So you might well ask, why is it used in cosmetic surgery?

Because of its ability to paralyze muscles, it is ideally suited for treating wrinkles and prevents muscle spasms when used in tiny doses.

۶٫ Ricin is pretty nasty

Ricin is widely known as a hazardous chemical. Yet it can be readily found in the seeds of castor oil plants.

It is a highly potent toxin, and a dose the size of just a few grains of table salt will kill a human outright. Ricin was investigated for a time for its potential applications in war, but interest was ultimately turned to the weaponization of sarin instead.

۷٫ Sarin will kill you in minutes

Sarin is a highly potent nerve agent that will kill exposed victims in less than ten minutes. It kills you through suffocation as your lung muscles become paralyzed due to inhalation.

Sarin is widely considered a potential weapon of mass destruction by many authorities. To this end, its production and stockpiling were wholly outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance.

۸٫ Strychnine has been rumored to have killed Alexander the Great

Strychnine is an old favorite for assassins and poisoners throughout history. While it is usually employed to dispatch unwanted pests, it can be used on humans too.

It has been rumored that it might have been used to kill historical figures like Alexander the Great and Robert Johnson, the famous Blues musician.

۹٫ Nicotine is pretty potent

Plants developed nicotine as a defense mechanism against pests. For this reason, it happens to be one of the most potent toxins in the world.

Besides being highly addictive in low doses, exposing yourself to enough of it would be fatal. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), exposure to 5 mg/m3 of nicotine is “immediately dangerous to life and health.”

۱۰٫ Sodium cyanide will kill you in seconds

Sodium cyanide is routinely used as an industrial reactant. But exposure to it will result in the smell of almonds followed by death within seconds.

Cyanide binds to cytochrome c oxidase, a protein in the mitochondria, and stops the cells from using oxygen.

And that’s all, folks.

The world’s most dangerous chemicals represent a significant risk to human health and the environment. While many of these chemicals are used in industry and everyday products, it’s essential to be aware of their potential dangers and take steps to minimize exposure.

From carcinogens to neurotoxins, these chemicals can cause serious health problems, so it’s essential to handle them with care and dispose of them properly. By staying informed about the risks of these chemicals, we can work to create a safer and healthier world for ourselves and future generations.